Avatar: The Balance of the Spirits
by TheGreatBeyond
Summary: Aang's was but one story in the rich tapestry of the Avatar. Now the world must live with the actions of his generation. A new avatar must rise to balance world once more. But will they before time runs out?


Water, Earth, Fire, Air....

A long time ago, the four nations were locked in a viscous war that devastated the balance of the world. The Fire nation's brutality and ferocity was too much for the other nations to bear. The Earth Kingdom was on a hopeless defensive, the Water Tribes were fighting a war of attrition they couldn't win and the Air Nomads were simply wiped out in a hideous genocide. The avatar hadn't come to save them and people soon lost hope.

But then....

Water, Earth, Fire,Air

As swift and strong as the air he commanded, a new avatar appeared, an airbender named Aang. In less than a year he mastered all four elements, and brought the fire nation's corrupt leaders to their knees using the righteous fury an avatar displays. With balance restored and the Great Redeemer of the Fire Nation, Zuko, on its throne the world worked together to rebuild what had been brought down in the Great War of the Comet. For 200 years the world new peace and guidance under the wise eye of the avatar. But all things must have their time, a life, a building, even the balance of the world...

Ice,Rock,Flame,Wind

15 years and 364 days ago, "The Last Airbender" left this world, and now the legacy of the past is again shaping the future. Disturbing events are taking place, and the avatar must return to restore nature's fragile harmony, for shadows are moving and time is short.

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The icebergs of the most southernly of oceans move in the lethargic but terrifying way that only such unreasonably large objects can. Sheets of ice drift on the freezing water. Life seems to be missing from his desert tranquillity, but....

A man flies out of the distance. He crashes into an extremely long floating piece of ice. Snow and water and kicked up in all directions. He leaps to his feet and put his arms in an offensive stance at the side of his body. Even here at the pole, he sweats from the heat of battle.

He is in serious trouble.

Another, dark figure of a man of similar size unnaturally drifts down to the other end of the ice sheet. It whips out a pair of nunchuks from holsters on it's back. The air around the Dark figure feels odd, like it is subject to a will that is different to the rest of the air around it?

The man and the figure are poised and ready for battle.

One where winning or losing is the difference between life and death.

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"Arika, Arika!"

"What is it Ranu!"

"Why do fish live underwater?"

The teenage girl turned around from the icy shore to face the small snot-faced little runt sitting on the mound of snow, who had been pestering her all day long.

"Maybe it's because they want to be as far away from little annoying boys who can make their life a nonstop cacophony of stupid questions?" replied Arika, with so much venom anyone would be asking for an antidote.

"But why is your hair that weird light brown and your eyes blue then?"

Anyone_ else_ would be asking for an antidote, Arika corrected herself internally. She remained perpetually fascinated as to how young children can shrug things off with such infuriating innocence.

"I don't know", moaned Arika, half falling, half sitting down and letting her hair cover her worn down expression. "I don't know or care. Why would I? Why do you bombard me with such moronic riddles? Why can't you go talk to _your _family and _your _friends and _your _life and just leave _me_ to my own!"

A few seconds of looking shocked after this outburst, and Ranu started crying. He then attempted to run away but tripped his oversized arctic coat. He then settled for hiding behind his previous snow seat and continuing to cry.

"You can't win with some people", muttered Arika. "I have been overly harsh though" she thought seconds later. "I mean he is only 5...."

"I'm sorry Ranu," said Arika half heartedly, standing up. "Could you at least stop crying please? I'll make a water ball for you?"

"Yes please "hiccupped Ranu. "Can you also make that smoke behind you go away please?"

"Fire in the south pole?" Arika turned around.

"Ranu, I think that water ball might have to wait"

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Combat, when fought well, is almost beautiful

Get past the fact that it is a pointless way of "resolving" issues, it has the potential to be as deep, illustrious, or strangely poetic as any other action can be.

One such fight was happening right now.

Flame curls down the ice sheet. Water evaporates around it. It comes to the end and..... boom! It flies out in dome all around the nunchuks wielding figure. He regains his stance. Two quick flicks of its wrist move the weapons, sending columns of blue compressed air hurtling back to the fire's maker.

The firebender tries desperately to avoid this oncoming barrage. He jumps, spinning in the air sideways. He mistimes. A column crashes into him, interrupting his jump and sending him crashing all along the ice until he bounces onto another.

He is freezing in his firebending uniform. He is outwitted. He is outmatched and he is well and truly way in over his head. He has but one option left. Run. Run now, fast and hard. Scrambling across the ice he jumps from one floating thin shard to another. He can hear the whistling of air. His adversary must be close. Here comes the hit......

He turns and pulls his arms together. The black figure swoops in, like a lion on wounded prey. Boom! Both combatants fly in opposite directions as fire explodes everywhere. The black-clad figure twists before skidding with his legs and one hand on the cracking ice, his composure and stance intact. The firebender is not so lucky. He pelts into the water, kicking up a wave in the process.

The freezing water blinds, suffocates and disorientates him while throwing him around like a ragdoll. He sees a huge iceberg up ahead, with a ledge he could climb up onto. He turns around to see his only other option is to reveal himself to his searching enemy.

He swims as fast as is humanly possible under his conditions to the ledge. He feels a razor sharp blade of air swoop past his ear. He has been spotted. By more than one person seeking to attack him.

A teenage female waterbender stands ready floating on the sea itself. She pulls her hands by side. Ice towers up beside her.

All 3 combatants are ready. But only one can win.


End file.
